Circular Economy
Today’s linear economy consumes resources 75% faster than nature can regenerate.
From low-carbon materials, upcycling “waste” as a value stream, and creating abundance from perceived scarcity, the circular economy is how we end our take-make-waste consumption model. At Valo, we are investing in solutions that:
Redesign
Reengineering products and value chains, extending product life cycles, reducing material inputs, and optimizing for recyclability, reuse, and upcycling.
Substitute
Reducing toxic and GHG feedstocks, creating new materials from regenerative natural elements, eliminating raw material extraction, and reducing embodied carbon.
Reuse
Reimagining business models, creating closed-loop systems, extending the value of existing products across multiple lifetimes, and upcycling waste into higher-performing outputs.
Signals
80% of consumers say they would seek out upcycled food products once they understand them.
Source: Forbes
60% of fashion executives have already invested, or plan to invest, in closed-loop recycling in 2022.
Source: McKinsey
The global lithium-ion battery recycling market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of ~32% from 2020 to 2027.
Source: statista
The EU has banned most single-use plastic food and beverage ware.
Source: European Commission
70% of the materials we currently use can fulfill current consumer needs—within the safe limits of the planet.
Source: 2023 Circularity Gap Report
Additional Resources
- Towards A Circular Economy: Business Rationale For An Accelerated Transition Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Circularity Weekly Newsletter GreenBiz
- The Case For Circular And Regenerative Fashion The Economist
- As Millions Of Solar Panels Age Out, Recyclers Hope To Cash In Yale School Of The Environment
